Abigail Nnaji

Abigail Nnaji is Pittsburgh-based interdisciplinary artist working across painting, sculpture, and installation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Fine and Applied Arts from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, specializing in painting. Since 2013, she has maintained a dedicated full-time studio practice.

A fully funded 2016 seminar in China transformed her practice when she learned Chinese paper cutting, a technique she now layers into her mixed-media paintings for texture and depth. In 2018, she became the first Black artist invited as an International Artist at the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival in Pensacola, Florida, in its forty-year history. Her evolving practice led her to explore three-dimensional work in 2020, and subsequently, she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at Washington State University in 2025.

Beyond her studio practice, Nnaji invested deeply in community. She first served as Assistant Secretary and later as Executive Secretary, contributing a combined eight years of service to the Female Artists Association of Nigeria. During her tenure, she co-organized exhibitions, seminars, and workshops that supported women artists and promoted girl-child education. These efforts earned her the Dedication and Impact in the Arts Award at the Association’s 2025 International Women’s Day celebration.

Through community engagement, she creates public art and leads projects that foster dialogue and inspire empathy. She has participated in numerous exhibitions and earned several scholarships and awards. Her works are held in private collections and institutions, including the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art in Lagos, City of Pensacola, Florida, and the Embassy of Spain’s Residence in Abuja, Nigeria.

Photo by Keegan Baatz